Angels are higher beings than humans and this is shown throughout the bible. That being said, notice when Gabriel announces Jesus’s birth to Mary, Gabriel says “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you!” That is an angel acknowledging that Mary is a higher being then him.

She was the first one to say, “Yes.” She gave herself completely to God’s will. The other apostles followed him, but the Gospel’s are full of examples of them questioning Jesus’ directives. Mary has humility but she also has influence with her son. She asked Him to turn water into wine, and He did. She watched in agony as He was crucified, died, and was buried. She was not martyred, but she did suffer.

Mary had to suffer watching Jesus die and since her love for Him as both her son and as God it would have been less painful if she had died the same pains a hundred times. I think it will be easier for generous people who have a great love for people that will understand this pain. Also, Mary had to deal with the knowledge that Jesus was going to die from the beginning (since Mary would have studied Scripture when she was at the temple) and the fact that Jesus as a loving and perfect Child would have made it worse since He wasn’t deserving of it. Saint Alphonsus wrote a great sermon on it. Mary also had seven sorrows and since she had to live many years after the Ascension of Christ into heaven without the God whom she loved more than anything. These long and sharp pains of the soul were much worse than the quick martyrdoms.

She’s your mother. If you want to put one of the apostles such as John or Peter before her you can, by all means nobody will stop you, but I guarantee both of them will be deeply offended and disappointed by it and they will still put her first.